email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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"Record" Lathe


Although badged as being a "Record", this American tool company was not known as a maker of gap-bed, backgeared and screwcutting centre lathes - and the lathe below (resident in the United States)  is actually a German-made  Ehrlich - a prolific manufacturer and exporter whose lathes were badged using, amongst other names, as IXL in the UK. A relatively light lathe for its capacity, it would have been made during the first two decades of the 20th century and was of utterly conventional design with a V and flat-way bed with a noticeably shallow gap. Of approximately 7.5-inch centre height, and 33.5 inches between centres, its headstock carried a 15/16"-bore spindle running in cap-type bronze bearings with a 3-step cone pulley for drive by a usefully-wide 2-inch belt.
In addition to screwcutting, a slow-rate power sliding feed was provided, driven by a key in the slotted leadscrew turning a worm-and-wheel assembly in the single-sided apron. The changewheel drive passed through a tumble-reverse assemble carried inboard of the left-hand headstock bearing - a better supported and more reliable arrangement that one fitted externally but more expensive to engineer. It's arrangement was typical of the time and especially Ehrlich practice. However, some difference in comparison with other Ehrlich lathes are apparent: the engagement of power feeds was, on most models, achieved by a quadrant lever, the movement of which both selected and engaged them. The "Record" had just a single control, presumably as an economy measure - a measure also taken with the top slide where, with a typically Ehrlich appearance to the casting, the top section of the slide was thickened and machined as an integral toolholder. Although a rigid assembly, this would have caused the operator much frustration as it was impossible to slightly alter the angle of a tool without having to loosen two bolts and swivel the whole assembly..


email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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"Record" Lathe